An Ecovillage Strategy to Address Humanity’s Multiple Existential Crises

A Perspective by David K. Cundiff, MD

Humanity faces numerous existential crises beyond climate change, including pollution, biodiversity loss, overpopulation, endless wars, artificial intelligence (AI), resource depletion, and a decline in global human metabolic health.

Ecovillages are intentional or traditional communities that strive for a more sustainable way of life. They are designed on a human scale to integrate social, economic, and ecological dimensions of sustainability. Through shared resources, participatory governance, and a commitment to low-impact living, residents work to minimize their environmental footprint and foster a strong sense of community, often incorporating practices like renewable energy, organic agriculture, and green building.

Another example of effectiveness of rural communities in ecological and regenerative work was the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) established in 1933 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was a key component of his New Deal program. Its dual purpose was to provide work relief for unemployed young men and to undertake a vast national conservation effort.

The CCC recruited single, unemployed men between the ages of 18 and 25 (later expanded to 17-28). These men lived in semi-military-style camps and were paid $30 a month, of which $25 was sent directly to their families. In exchange, they performed manual labor on projects to conserve natural resources and improve public land.

As a solution to these interconnected crises, individuals from all backgrounds could work cooperatively in ecovillages. These rural communities would allow climate activists to address environmental, social, economic, and moral issues while earning a living doing meaningful work. Occupations could include farming, ranching, renewable energy production, construction, teaching, and healthcare. A key benefit would be the enhanced focus on health promotion and disease prevention, which is often more effective in rural settings than in modern cities.

As a former physician, I studied public health and internal medicine. Public health addresses all threats to human well-being, including poor metabolic health. Currently, as few as 7% of U.S. adults are metabolically healthy

Metabolic health is defined as not being overweight, obese, hypertensive, or diabetic, having a waist circumference of fewer than 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women, and having high-density lipoprotein cholesterol higher than 60 mg/dL and triglycerides lower than 100 mg/dL. The unfortunate status and direction in U.S. and global metabolic and overall health call for an ecovillage strategy to improve metabolic health, as described in Good Energy by Casey Means, MD.

Humans emit approximately 54 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year (GTCO2e/year), a rate that could lead to human extinction by 2100. I modeled how much carbon could be sequestered by shifting global agriculture to exclusively organic farming and ranching within a network of ecovillages. My findings show that 24.1 GTCO2e could be captured in the soil, compared to the 11.9 GTCO2e/year emitted by current chemical agriculture. This shift alone would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 36 GTCO2e/year.

My model further suggests that attracting four billion people to ecovillages would allow for the avoidance of 98% of human-caused greenhouse gases. This strategy would also serve to improve global metabolic health and address other crises.

To test this model, I propose a pilot project in Point Reyes, California, which is currently the site of a conflict over 17,000 acres of ranchlands. The dispute is a "lose-lose-lose" situation: environmentalists pay a large settlement, organic food producers are displaced, and the local economy suffers.

My proposed "win-win-win" solution is to create three ecovillages, each housing about 1,000 climate activists, on the disputed land. Their roles would include:

• Producing metabolically healthy diets free of added sugars and ultra-processed foods.
• Practicing physical exercise through gardening, ranching, and other demanding work.
• Managing stress through yoga, meditation, and immersion in nature.
• Tracking metabolic health practices with apps.
• Growing a diverse diet of fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, and humanely raised animal products.
• Selling organic food at local farmers’ markets and restaurants.
• Maximizing self-sufficiency through a variety of occupations.

These villages would require about 3,000-6,000 acres to feed their residents and customers (one half to one acre per person), which is significantly less than the 2.7 acres per person required by the average American diet.

The energy consumption of a frugal ecovillager would be about 20,000 kWh per year, a quarter of the American average. A solar energy system for 3,000 villagers and surrounding homes would cost around $80 million in capital and $4.7 million annually, requiring 300 acres. After selling excess power, the net energy cost per villager would be about $750 per year.

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Recruitment for the ecovillages would be conducted locally, highlighting job security, adequate income, improved health, and a life of purpose. Applicants would be required to document their health practices using an app.

Funding would come from donations, research grants, ecotourism, and the sale of organic food and renewable energy. The success and net earnings of the initial pilot project would facilitate the exponential global spread of the ecovillage network.

I hope this proposal inspires you to help spread the message to your family and friends. Your children and grandchildren will thank you. Please email me your thoughts at grandbargainsbook@gmail.com.

My website is http://www.grandbargainsbook.com.